Everything about the film – the music, the art direction, even the typeface choice — appears a perfect time capsule depicting its era. Along with its swinging ’70s vibe, it gives some groovy information about the satellite.

The Landsat program is “a new chapter in man’s effort to prove himself worthy of his Earthly heritage,” as the video proudly proclaims.

The first Landsat satellite, then named the Earth Resources Technology Satellite, launched on July 23, 1972. Jointly managed by NASA and the USGS, the Earth-observing spacecraft was meant to monitor the planet for signs of human impacts on the landscape. The chief concerns at the time were urban sprawl and disappearing open land.

Since its launch, the first Landsat satellite, along with six others in the program, have beamed back amazing images that have aided international efforts of environmental management and provided important data on our changing planet. They have provided the longest continuous global record of the Earth’s appearance from space. Landsat 8, known as Landsat Data Continuity Mission, is scheduled to launch in 2013.